A secondary school pupil has tested positive for Covid-19 - but had not returned to the classroom prior to falling ill.

Fulston Manor School in Sittingbourne has this afternoon confirmed a student received the diagnosis following a test taken at home.

However, as the child had not yet been back to school, there has been no knock-on effect on teaching at the Brenchley Road campus.

Head of school Susie Burden said: "We have not had to take any action and any concerns will have gone through Public Health England."

The news of a further positive result for a school-age child comes after three other schools in Swale were forced to act after pupils were diagnosed with coronavirus.

A number of students at Highsted Grammar School, Westlands Primary School and Bapchild and Tonge CE Primary School were told to self-isolate after a Covid-19 alert following positive test results.

The primary in School Lane, Bapchild, sent letters to parents earlier this week confirming a child in Year 1 had come down with the virus.

Head teacher Christian Kelly said: "Having been informed late on Monday afternoon that a child in Year 1 had tested positive for Covid-19 the school followed the government guidelines, contacted Public Health England and, acting on their advice, asked all pupils in the relevant year group to remain at home for the next 14 days."

Pupils at Fulston Manor have been praised for the way they have adapted to the pandemic measures put in place following the return to schools.

Mrs Burden said: "Students have adapted very well. We’re really impressed with how they’ve worked with us.”

Pupils in Years 10, 11, 12 and 13 wear masks while moving around the corridors, while younger year groups stay in segregated buildings.

"We’re very conscious of the stress this causes,” Mrs Burden said. “We’re doing a lot of work in tutor time around mental health and wellbeing and we’re able to refer children with anxiety starting to impact their work to the right services.”

Director of public health for Kent, Andrew Scott-Clark, said: “Ensuring pupils and staff can learn and work in a safe environment remains the overriding priority and we work closely with PHE to ensure that any suspected cases of Covid-19 within a school are managed effectively to minimise the spread of the virus."

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